I think my meal planning method is still rock solid. But, our schedules just don't line up. Often times he comes home at 9 pm and he's eaten out or not hungry. Meanwhile, the leftovers will go uneaten because he can't heat them up at school.

He's restricted to cold meals. And, I am a social cook. If I'm cooking for myself, I tend to just not eat. Which is obviously... not recommended. This is why meal prepping is SO important.

Now, there's a wrench thrown into how much food to buy, how much food to make, and when to make it.

hammer out the new schedule:

This takes persistence and flexibility. I know that there's a very high likely chance that Justin will get hungry before coming home at 9 pm. So, I need to focus on just vegetarian recipes or a recipe that can be delicious eaten cold the next day. Or I need to focus on something that can transform into something else.

I can't just turn on auto-pilot like I have in the past. Instead I'll have to check in more often, and focus on more flexibility.

less prepping:

I will be prepping less food in one day, and prepping more the night before. I made mini-quiches which were delicious, but they went uneaten because he did not like eating them cold.

So, now I'll be focusing on muffins and smoothies. Portability has become important. He doesn't have the luxury of a work kitchen.

how much food to buy:

I'm still figuring it out. We've had several vegetables go bad; because we haven't gotten to them. He's been eating out more, and I've been not eating. We want both of these habits to stop. Temporarily I'll be heading to the grocery store more often, until I can find our new perfect amount of food.

prepping:

Cooking is still so important. We want to eat real, unprocessed food, but we're still working on getting on the same page. I'm on the lookout for new recipes to add to our meal rotation that can fit into this new season of life.

I'd be thrilled if we had this sorted out and back on schedule by mid-October. Do you have any suggestions? What are some of your favorite portable recipes? Or do you have any that are great cold?